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BoE trims requirements for new superintendent

“Never.”That’s a good time to be looking for a school superintendent, according to a consultant who’s helping the Liberty Board of Education in their search to fill the top spot. Don Rooks of the Georgia School Board Association met with the Liberty BoE on Tuesday to discuss finding a permanent replacement for Superintendent Dr. Steve Wilmoth. Although the board used an expensive private sector headhunter for its last search — the one that identified Wilmoth — they decided to enlist the aid of the state organization this time around.The board, in its first meeting with Rook, abandoned some of the formal requirements it had initially specified for superintendent candidates. A doctor’s degree or equivalent was changed from a required qualification to a preferred one.The BoE had said it wanted candidates with experience as superintendents, but after a specific question from Chairman Lily Baker, decided to change that. Member Becky Carter said the requirement would rule out “lots of up and coming bright young people we know are out there.” The group decided not to limit its search to candidates with experience as a superintendent.After a long discussion, the board decided it needed a superintendent “proficient in the use of technology.” The time frame was also changed Tuesday; in the words of member Carol Guyett, “We just moved everything up.” The board and GSBA will have a recruiting brochure out by Nov. 12 and plan to complete initial interviews by the end of January.After providing Rooks with the revised qualifications and timeline, the board then authorized GSBA to do an online survey to get public input on the qualifications needed in a new superintendent.Interim Superintendent Harley Grove reiterated Tuesday he is not a candidate for the permanent top job.